2-15 - ernest burgess - the growth of the city

7/27/2019 2-15 - Ernest Burgess - The Growth of the City

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owitzRobert E. ParkErnest W. BurgessRoderick D. McKenzie

THE CITYWith an Introduction byMOIII8 JANOWITZ

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESSCHICAGO AND LONDON


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Contents

lNraooucTm by Morris ]anowitzI. '/'he City: Suggestions fo r the Investigation of

Human Behavior in the Urban EnvironmentRobert E, Park of the City An Introduction to a Research Project Ernest W/BurgessIII. Th e pproachto th e Study of the Human Community

CHICAGO PRESS, CHtCt0 60637of Chicago Press, Ltd,, Londony of Chicago. All rights reservedhed 1925. Midway reprint 1984in the United States of America01 00999897 56 789

ISBN: 0-226-64611-4LCN: 66-23694

publication meets th e minimumrican National Standard forrmanence of Paper fo r PrintedZ39.48-1992,

IV.

VI,VII.

VIII.

vii

R. D. McKenzieThe ,,1 ll;o : NewspaperCommunity Organization and Juvenile DelinquencyRobert E. Park 99Community Organization and the Romantic TemperRobert E. Park 1Magic, Mentality, an d City LifeRobert E. ParkCan Neighbgrhood Work Have a Scientific Basis?Ernest W. Burgess


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CITin a massive manner al/the humanordinarily obscured and suppressedin short, shows the good an dthis fact, perhaps, more than anywould make of the city a labora-an d social processes may be

ROBber E. PAlate.

CHAPTER IITHE GROWTH OF THE CITY: AN INTRODUCTION

TO A RESEARCH PROJECTThe outstanding factoeLuty is the growth _f_gatci. Nowhere else have the enormous changes which the machineindustry has made in our social life registered themselves with suchobviousness as in the cities. In the United States the transitionfrom a rural to an urban civilization, though beginning later than

in Europe, has taken place, if not more rapidly and completely,at any rate more logically in its most characteristic forms.All the manifestations of modem life which ar e peculiarly urban--the skier, the subway, the de_p_jtre, the dailyne_w.Slmr :and --are characteristicallyTh e more subtle changes ". m our_social life which in their crudermanifestations are termedsocial problemsproblems that alarman d bewilder us, as divorce, delinquency, and social unrest, are tobe found in their most acute fo:___ American citics.The profound an d "subversive" forces which have wrought thesechanges are measured in the physical growth and expansion of cities.That is the significance of the comparative statistics of Weber,Bilcher, and other students.

These statistical studies, although dealing mainly with the effectsof urban growth, brought out into clear relief certain distinctivecharacteristics of urban as compared with _L_r_r_r_r_r_r_r_rtl populations. Thelarger proportion of women to men in the cities than in the opencountry, the greater percentage of youth an d middle-aged, thehigher ratio of the foreign-born, the increased heterogeneity ofoccupation increase with the growth of the city an d profoundlyalter its social structure. These variations in the composition of


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THE CITY

population are ;a;o,; ol l the changes gong on in theorganization of e co--unity, In fact, ese changes are a partof e grow of the city an d suggest the nature of th e processes ofgrowth.e oy aspect of gtow adequately de$cdbfichet an dWeber was e raer obvious process of e f urbanpopulation. Aost as overt a process, that oias beenvestigated from a derent and very practicaiew by

groups terested city play,g, zong, and regional sueys.Even more signcant an e creasg d of urban popula-tion is its correlative tendency to overflow, an d so to extend overwider areas, an d to ncoorate ese areas to a larger communallife. This paper, therefore, will treat first of the exciand en of the less-known processes of um an dmobility which are closely related to expansion.The expansion o e elty trom e stndt o e city plan,zong, n d regional surveys is ought o most wholly in terms oits physical grow. Traction studies have dealt with the develop-

ment of *rnsporttion its relation to the distribution of popul-: tion thro.ghout e city. The survey made by theC d other pu have ttemted to orecast n d te oow o e city in order to antlciate e/ n of teir se=ices. In the city plne loctlon of parks en d boulevards, g of trac streets,e provision o r a civic center, are all e interest of th e futurecontrol of the physical development of the city.This expansion ar of our largest cities is now being broughtforcibly to our attention by e Plan for Study of New Yorkan d It s Environs, an d by the foation of the Chicago RegionMPlag Associaon, which extends e metropolin district of e city to a radius of 5o mes, embracg 4,000 square miles of


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:T Ychanges going on ;m &e socialfact, these changes ar e a part

t the nature of the processes ofiately described by Bficher an dss of th e n of urbaness, that ofexpano, has beencry practical point of view byzoning, and regional surveys.,'asing d of urban popula-verflo_____w and so to extend overe areas into a larger communalt first of the ex:esses of ur_b.an metab01is__m an dexpansion.SICAL GROWTHe Standpot Of the city plan,

of almost wholly in terms ofhave dealt with the develop-

to the distribution of popula-made by th%ell Telephone']]attempte_d_to forecat_. |city in ordering anticirate the |sorvice J

the widening of traffic streets,in the interest of the futurethe city.cities is now being broughtfo r th e Study of New York

of the Chicago Regionalthe metropolitan district of4,000 square miles of

THE GROWTH OF THE CITY 49e are attemptkug to measure expansion Lu --deal with e changes that accompany city growth. England,where more an one-half of e habitants live cities havg popation of oo, d over, e lively appreciation of e beargof urban expansion on social organation is us eressed by C. B.Fawcett:

One of the most impotent and string delopments the gowth of theurban populations of the more advanced peoples of the world dung the lastfew decades has been e apprance of a nber of vt urban aggregate,or conurbations, fa r larger an d more numerous the eat cities of any pre-cedg age. These have usury been foxed by the sultaneous expansionof a nber of neighboring towns, which have go ou t toward each otheruntil they have reached a practical coalescence in one contuous urban area.Each su conurbation still has within it many nuclei of denser to growth,most of which represent e central are of the various towns from which it grown, d these nuclear patches are coected by the less densely urban-id e which began suburbs of these tow. The latter are still usuallyrather I s contuous!y occupied by buildings, and often have many open spaces.These gent agegates of town dwellers ar e a new feature the distributionof man 0vet eth A the present day ere ale from kty to forty ofthem, ea conta]ng more than a [ion people, whereas only a hundredyearn ago there were, outside the great centers of puhtion on the waterwaysof Chin, not more than two or three. Such aggretions of people are phenom-ena of great geographical and social importance; they give se to new prob-lems n the organization of the life an d we-beg of thek inhabitants an d ]n n actlvties. Few of them have A A soca! consclousnesat ! proportionate to their mnJtde or fury realized themse!ve-s as definitegroupgs of people with many mmon interests, emotions d thoughts.,

In Europe an d America thg..gret city to padhas been recognized the te "e metropolitan area of the city,"hich far overruns its political Iits, d e case of New Yorkand Chicago, even state les. The metropolitan area may be tento nclude uban territory that is physically contiguous, but it iscomg to be deed by at facility of transportation that enablesa busess man to live a suburb of Chicago and to work the


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tE CITYMarshall Field's an d atend grand

,N AS A PROCESSprocess has yet been made, althoughan d intimations of different aspects

a city planning, zoning, and regionales of the expansion of the city Can" a series of concentric clrcle_s, whiche both the successive zones of urbanteas differentiated in th e process ofleal construction of the tendencies oftdially from its central business dis-)p" (I). Encircling the downtownin transitio.n which is b 'acture (II). A third area (lid ises who havfrom thewho desire to live within easy accessme is the "re" (IV) ofor of exclusive "restricted" districtsn 1armer, out oeyonta the city tmaits,roan areas, or satellite, cities--within,f the central business district.r th e main fact of expansion, namely,te to extend its area_by th e invasionaspect of expansion may be calledas been studied in detail in.t.d to Chicago, all four of these zonesed in the circumference of the innerrict. The present boundaries of the.many years ago..thoe, of the zonewage-earners, and within the mere-

THE GROWTH OF THE CITY 8xoe of thousands of Chicagoans contained the residences of th e"best families." It hardly needs to be added that neither Chicag9

CO//VUTERS ZObl li

CHART I. The Growth of th e City


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5 THE CITYnoran oer cit fits erfectl into this ideal schene. Compli-cations are introduced by the lake front, the Chicago River, railroadlines, historical factors in the locationtry, the relative degreeof the resistance of communities t_netc.Besides extension an d succession general process of expan-sion in urban growth involves the antagonistic and yet comple-mentary processes ofn and decentralization. In allcities there is the natural tendency fo r local and outside transpor-tation to converge in the central business district. In the down-town section of every targe city we expect to find the departalentstores, the skyscraper office buildings, the railroad stations, thegreat hotels, the theaters, the art museum, an d the city hall. Quitenaturally, almost inevitably, the economic, cultural, an d politicallife centers here. The relation of centralization to the other pro-cesses of city life may be roughly gauged by the fact that over halfa million people daily enter and leave Chicago's "loop." Morerecently .ub-business centers have grown up in zones.These "satellite loops" do not, it seems r_u_Eresent the "_9.ped for"revival of rather a telescoping of several locrdcg__munities into a larger economic unity. The Chicago of yester-day, an agglomeration of country towns an d immigrant colonies,is undergoing a process of reorganization into a centralized decen-stdm of local communities into sub-businesare..as visibly or invisibly dominated by the central business district.The actual processes of what may be called centralized decentraliza-tion are now being studied in the development of the chain stor.e,--"which is only one illustration of the change in the basis'of the urbanorganization.' as we have seen, deals with the physical growth ofthe city, an d with the extension of the technical services that havemade city life not only livable, but comfortable, even luxurious.

See E. H. Shldelcr, Th e RelMl Busness OrganhaHon an Index of CornrauntyOrganlzatn (in preparation).

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[Tto this ideal scheme. Compli-ant, the Chicago River, railroadthe relative degreethe general process of expan-antagonistic and yet comple-an d decentralization. In allfor local and outside transpor-siness district. In th e down-expect to find the department

gs , the railroad stations, th e:eum, an d the city hall. Quite,nomic, cuItural, an d political:ntralization to the other pro-ge d by the fact that over halfChicago's "loop." More

up ining zones,represent the "h"a tel._____esco_ing of several lo1Th e Chicago of yester-an d immigrant colonies,into a centralized decenocoalescing into sub-bushiness.th e central business district.centraIized decen traliza-of the chain stor.e,


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54 THE CITYrate. However, the natural rate of gowth may. be used the s of metabolism cauexcessive increas.eoll e the eati of south ".northern cities since_the war. In a similar way all cities show devia-tions in composition by age an d sex from a standard population suchas that of Sweden, unaffected in recent years by any great emigra-tion or immigration. Here again, marked variations, as any greatexcess of males over females, or of females over males, or in the pro-portion of children, or of grown men or women, are symptomaticof abnormalities in social metabolism.Normally the processes of disorganization and organization maybe thoug as of social order toward an --ff'defmitely regard So fa r as disorganiza-tion points to reorganization an d makes fo r more efficient adjust-ment, disorganization must be conceived not as pathological, but as

r" nodal. Disorganization as rel'tmin to reor anlzation of ( tudes and conduct is alm-"-'-"st'-'-variabl the lo t of the newco'et to| the cit and the discarding of the habitual and often of what hast been to him the m is not infre uently accompanied b sharpict an d sense of erp..fs. loss. Oftener, perhaps, theb change gives r late---- feeling o'- e--ancipation an d an urgetoward new goals.In the expansion of th e cocess of distribution takes 1.p_.ewhich siftsannd relocates individuals andsi-. The resulting differentiation of the cos-n American city into areas is typically all from one pattern,with only interesting minor modifications. Within th e centralbusiness district or on an adjoining street is the "main stem" of"hobohemia," the teeming Rialto ofthe homeless migratory man ofthe Middle West.' In the zone of deterioration encircling the cen-tral business section ar e alw.ays to be found the so-called "slums"

For a study of this cultural area of city life see Nels Anderson, Th e Hobo, Chi-cago 1921,

an dtio


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ITYgrowth may be used to measur-used by any excessive incre..,imlux of .southe.r Negroe ".s_timflar way all cities show devia-from a standard population such

cent years by any great emigra-marked variations, as any greatemales over males, or in the pro-.en or women, are symptomatic,anization and organization m._..._ytionship to each other, and asm of social order toward an engressive._ So fa r as disorganiza-akes for more efficient adjust-

not as pathological, bu t ast0 re0rganizfioa of atti-the lo t of the n.wcomer tohabitual,...and often of what hasacarplos_.___..s. Oftener, perhaps, thecess of distribution take s plaeindividuals an d gro.uls by rcsi-differentiation of th e cos-typically all from one pattern,Within th e centralstreet is th "main stem" of

homeless migratory man ofencircling the cen-found the so-called "slums"life see Neh Anderson, TI Hobo, Chi-

THE GROWTH OF THE CITY 5Sand "bad lands," wth their submerged regions of poverty, degrada-tion, an d disease, and their underworlds of crime an d vice. Within

/

CHART ll Urban Areas


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a deteriorating area ar e roomlng-house districts, the purgatory of"lost souls." Near by is the Latin Quarter, where creative an drebellious spirits resort. The slums are also crowded to over-flowing with immigrant colonies--the Ghetto, Little Sicily. Greek..town, Chinatown--fascinatingly combining ol d world heritagesan d American adaptations. Wedging out from here is the BlackBelt, with its free an d disorderly life. The area of d_eterioration,while essentially one of decay, of stationary or declining population,is also one of, as witness the mission, the settlement,the artists' colony, radical centers--all obsessed with the vision of anew and better world.

. The next zone is also inhabited predomlnatingly by factory andshop workers, but skilled an d thrifty. This is an area of secondimmigrant settlement, generally of the second generation. It is theregion of escape from the slum, the Deutschland of the aspiringi Ghetto family, For Deutschland (literally "Germany") is thename given, half in envy, half in derision, to that region beyondthe Ghetto where successful neighbors appear to be imitatingGerman Jewish standards of living. Bu t the inhabitant of this areain turn looks to th e "Promised Land" beyond, to its residentialhotels, its apartment-house region, it s "satellite loops," an d it s"bright light" areas.This differentiation into natural economic an d cultural group-ings gives form and character to the city. Fo r segregation offersthe group, an d thereby the individuals who compose the group, aplace an d a r61e in the total organization of city life. Segregationlimits development in certain directions, but releases it in others.These areas tend to accentuate certain traits, to attract and developtheir kind of individuals, and so to become further differentiated.

The division of labor in the city likewise illustratea-tionn, an d increasing_different. The immigrantfrom rural communities in Europe an d America seldom brings withhi m economic skill of any great value in our industrial, commercial,

or proftakenor circpolicemters, Be

Thefullymensome ntionthe diof themechaneconomlaborsad rtheirworldmay mworldsmonize

Ifa mod._organ[insaniwhatdisordoveras a

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louse districts, the purgatory ofti n Quarter, where creative an dn s are also crowded to over-the Ghetto, Little Sicily. Greek-.combining old world heritages;ing out from here is the Blacklife. The area of terioratlon,tionary or declining population,tess th e mission, th e settlement,-all obsessed with th e vision of apredominatingly by factory an difty. This is an area of second e second generation. It is thehe D,utschland of the aspiring(litera!ly ,'Germany") is thederision, to that region beyond:hbors appear to be imitatingBu t the inhabitant of this arearod" beyond, to its residentialits "satellite loops," an d itseconomic an d cultural group-

e city. For segregation offersls who compose the group, aof city life. Segregationbut releases it in others.traits, to attract and developfurther differentiated.illustrates disorgana-

The immigrantAmerica seldom brings within our industrial, commercial,

THE GROWTH OF THE CITY 57or professional life. Yet interesting occupational selection hastak n place by nattonahty, explainable more bracial tempe{.r circumstance than by old-world economic bckground, a-ri;h /olicemen, Greek ice-cream parlors, Chinese laundries, qegro pot- 1ers, Belgian janitors, etc.

The facts that in Chicago one miIlion (996,589) individuals gain-fully employed reported 509 occupations, an d that overmen an d women in Who's Who gave 6 different vocations, givesome notion of how in the city the minute differentiation of occupa-tion "analyzes an d sifts the population, separating an d classifyingthe diverse elements.'" These figures also afford some intimationof the complexity an d complication of the modem industrialmechanism an d the intricate segregation an d isolation of divergenteconomic groups. Interrelated with this economic division oflabor is a corresponding division into social classes an d into culturalan d recreational groups. From this multiplicity of groups, withtheir different patterns of life, the person finds hi s congenial socialworld andwhat is not feasible in th e narrow confines of a village--may move an d live in widely separated, and perchance conflicting,worlds. Personal disorganization may be but the failure to har-monize the canons of conduct of two divergent groups.If the phenomena of exl_nsio_n an d metabolism indicate thata moderate deg.._ree of disorganization may facilitate socialo.rganization, they indicate as wepid urban expansion isccom shied b excessive increases in disease crime disorder, vice,uicide, rough indexes of social disorganization. Bu twhat are th e in-hWs of th e causes, rater &a n of-e effects, of th edisordered social metabolism of the city ? The excess of the actualover the natural increase of population has already been suggestedas a criterion. The significance of this increase consists in theimmigration into a metropolitan city like New York _d..Chicagof tens of thousands of persons annually. Their of theWeber, The Growt of Citle, p. 4.


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58 THE CITYcity has the effect of a tldal wave inundating first the immigrantcolonies, the ports of first entry, dislodging thousands of inhabitantswho overflow into the next zone, an d so on an d on until the momen-tum of the wave ha s spent its force on the last urban zone. The

whole effect is to speed up expansion, to speed up industry, to speed the "j in th e area of deterioration (II).-T--e$ments of the population become the more significant fo r study. What movement is going on in the city, an d how maythis movement be measured? It is easier, of course to classifymovement within the city than to measure it. There is the move-ment from residence to residence, change of occupation, laborturnover, movement to and from work, movement fo r recreationand adventure. This leads to the question: What is the significantaspect of movement fo r the study of the changes in city life ? Theanswer to this question leads directly to the important distinctionbetween movement an d mobility.

MOBILITY AS THE PULSE OF THE COIITYMovement, per se , is not an evidence of change or of growth. Infact, movement may be a fixed an d unchanging order of motion,designed to control a constant situation, as in routine movement.

Movement that is significant fo r growth implies a change of move-n-e-nt i-eponse to new stimults or situation. merit of this t \ .lied rno.lit.. Movement of the nature oft-routine finds its typical expression in work. Change of movement,or mobility, is characteristically expressed in adventure. Thegreat city, with its "bright lights," its emporiums of novelties andbrgahas, its palaces of amusement, its underworld of vice andcrime, its risks of llfe an d property from accident, robbery, and'homlcide, has become the region of the most intense degree of adventure and danger, excitement and thrill.Mobility, it is evident, involves change, new experience, stimu-lation. Stimulation induces a response of the person to those objects


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HE CITY1 wave inundating first the immigrant:ry, dislodging thousands of inhabitantsme, an d so on an d on until the momen-its force on the last urban zone. Thepansion, to speed up industry, to speedthe area of deterioration (II). Thesopulation become th e more significantis going on in the city, an d how may? It is easier, of course, to classifytan to measure it. There is the move-sidence, change of occupation, laborfrom work, movement fo r recreation:o the question: What is th e significanttudy of the changes in city life ? Thes directly to the important distinctionbilityPuls. oz" Wm. comn, u Y

an evidence of change or of growth. Inxed an d unchanging order of motion,at situation, as in routine movement.fo r growth implies a change of move-muius or situation. C__hange of.move-. Movement of the nature of

in work. Change of movement,expressed in adventure. Theits emporiums of novelties an d

its underworld of vice an dfrom accident, robbery, an dof the most intense degree of adven.an d thrill.change, new experience, stimu-response of the person to those objects

THE GROWTH OF THE CITY 59in hi s environment which afford expression fo r hi s wishes. Fo r theperson, as fo r the physical organism, stimulation is essential togrowth. Response to stimulation is wholesome so long as it is ac_orrelated iniegrag reaction of the entire personality. When thereaction is segmental, that is, detached from, an d uncontrollede organization of perscmallty; it tends to become d.nrggaxizingor pathologicaJ. That is why stimulation fo r the sake of stimula-h'ib-',s in the resdess pursuit of pleasure, partakes of the nature ofvice.

The mobility of city life, with its increase in the number an dintensity of stimulations, tends inevitably to confuse an d to demor-alize the person. Fo r an essential element in the mores an d inersonal morality is consistency, consistency of e type that isnatural in the social control of the primary group. Xghere mobilityis the greatest, an d where in consequence primary controls breakdown completely, as in the zone of dete'bration in th e moderncity, there develop areas of demoralization, of promiscuity, andof vice."--'our studies of the city it is found that areay arealso th e regions in which are found.jgyenile ddinquency, boys' gangs,crime, poverty, wife desertion, divorce, abandoned infants, vice.These concrete situations show why mobility is perhaps th e bestindex of the state of metabolism of the city. Mobility may bethought of in more than a fanciful sense, as the "pulse of the com-munity." of the human bod25 it is a process whichreflects an d is indicative of all the changes that are taking place inthe community, and which is susceptible of analysis into dementswhich may be stated numerically.Th e dements entering into mobility maybe classified under twomain heads: () the state of mutability of the person, an d (2) thenumber an d kind of contacts or stimulations in his environment.The mutability of city populations varies with sex and age composi-tion, th e degree of detachment of the person from the family an d


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6o THE CITYfrom other groups. All these factors may be expressed numerically.The new stimulations to which a population responds can be meas-ured in terms of change of movement or of increasing contacts.Statistics on th e movement of urban population may only measureroutine, but an increase at a higher ratio than the increase of popu-lation measures mobility. In 186o the horse-car lines of NewYork City carried about So,oooooo passengers; in i89o the trolley-cars (and a fe w surviving horse-cars) transported about 5oo,ooo,ooo;in I92I, the elevated, subway, surface, an d electric an d steam subur-ban lines carried a total of more than .,5oo,cxo,ooo passengers.'In Chicago the total annual rides per capita on the surface and ele-vated lines were 16 4 in i89o; 2 5 in x9oo; 3 o in i9io; an d 33 8 inI92L In addition, the rides per capita on steam an d electricsuburban lines almost doubled between i916 (23) an d i92I (4x),an d the increasing use of the automobile must not be overlooked.*Fo r example, the number of automobiles in Illinois increased fromx3x,I4o in 1915 to 833,92o in 923 ,3Mobility may be measured not only by these changes of move-ment, but also by increase of contacts. While the increase ofpopulation of Chicago in xgx2-22 was less than 25 per cent (23.6 per

e,s e,,,d o ag,ns was doubleNew York ha d 8.8 telephones; in xg 6 . 9 per zoo inhabitants.Boston had, in 9, o.z telephones; ten years later, 9-5 telephoneper xeo inhabitants. In e same decade e figures for Chicagoresed from .3 to L6 per oo population, s But increase ofthe use of the telephone is probably more siificant than increase

Adpted from W. B. Monro, Munldpal Ge.emment a AdminstraHen, II, 377.Report of th e Chicago Subway and Tracton CmCssion, p. 8i, and e Report ona Physal PIan#r a Unified Tramportatlon System, p. 39t.

Data comped by automobe industfi.Statistics of maing dision, Chicago Post-oce.Detemined from Census Estimas for Intercsul Years.

tu thChicaI922only

LsensltareStateat thoverthein thof tseemcorremeaslexpar

centrdisormobithztmun]Telep

Yardzfrom


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CITY.ors may be expressed numerically.population responds can be meas-'ement or of increasing contacts.an population may only measurer ratio than the increase of popu-86 o the horse-car lines of Newo passengers; in 89o the trolley-rs) transported about 5oo,ooo,ooo;:ace, and electric an d steam subur-e than ,5oo,ooo,ooo passengers.'pe r capita on the surface an d ele-in zgoo; 32 o in rgio; an d 33 8 inr capita on steam and electricetween z96 (23) and i9 (4),

must not be overlooked.'in Illinois increased fromonly by these changes of move-While the increase ofless than 25 per cent (23.6 per

to Chicagoans was doubleto Lo38,oo7,854). Inxgr922, x6 . 9 per zoo inhabitants.

ten years later, 9.5 telephonesdecade the figures for Chicagopopulation. But increase ofmore significant than crease

Government g Aminsmon, II, 371.Commission, p. 8*, an d e Report onp. $0.Postffice.

Fears.

THE GROWTH OF THE CITY 6in th e number of telephones. The number of telephone calls inChicago increased from 6o5,3,98 in 94 to 944,om,586 in92,' an increase of 55.7 per cent, while the population increasedonly 3.4 per cent.Land values, since they reflect movement, afford one of the mostsensitive indexes of mobility. The highest land values in Chicagoare at the point of greatest mobility in the city, at the corner ofState and Madison streets, in the Loop. A traffic count showed thatat the rush period 3,,ooo people an hour, or 2 xo,ooo men an d womenin sixteen an d one-half hours, passed the southwest corner. Fo rover te n years land values in the Loop have been stationary: but inthe same time they have doubled, quadrupled, an d even sextupledn the strategic comers of the "satellite loops,", an accurate indexof th e changes which have occurred. Ou r investigations so farseem to indicate that variations in land values, especially wherecorrelated with differences in rents, offer perhaps the best singleeasure of mobility, an d so of all the changes taking place in the"expansion and growth of the city.In general outline, I have attempted to present the point of viewand methods of investigation which the department of sociologyis employing in its studies in the growth of the city, namely, to .escribe urban expansion in terrs of extension, succession, an d con-centration; to determine how expansion disturbs metabolism whendisorganization is in excess of organization; ad, finally, to definemobility an d to propose it as a measure both of expansion an dmetabolism, susceptible to precise quantitative formulation, sothat it may be regarded almost literally as the pulse of the com-munity. In a way, this statement might serve as an introduction2

From statistics furnished by Mr. R. J'ohnson, traffic supervisor, Illinois BellTelephone Company.From 9-z3, land values per front foot increased in Bridgeport from 8600 to8x,5o; in Divsion-Ashla, nd-Milwaukeedistrict, from82,ooo to 84,500; in"Back of theYards," from 8,ooo to 83,000; in Englewood, from 8,5oo to 88,coo; in Wilson Avenue,ro m 8r,ooo to $6,000; but decreased in the Loop from 8zo, ooo to


19/19

6 THE CITYto any one of five or si x research projects under way in th e depart-ment2 Th e project, however, in which I am directly engaged |san attemptthods of investigation to a cross-secon_p_t this areazas it were _..der th e microscop.._ands__9..o to study in more detail an d with rearer co trol an d ecis'on ebeen described here in : For thispurpose the West Side Jewish community has been selected. Thiscommunity includes the so-called "Ghetto," or area of first settle-ment, and Lawndale, the so-called "Deutschland," or area of secondsettlement. This area has certain obvious advantages fo r thisstudy, from the standpoint of expansion, metabolism, and mobility.It exemplifies the tendency to expansion radially from the businesscenter of the city. It is now relatively a homogeneous culturalgroup. Lawndale is itself an area in flux, with the tide of migrantsstill flowing in from th e Ghetto an d a constant egress to moredesirable regions of the residential zone. In this area, too, it is alsopossle to study how th e expected outcome of this high rate ofmobility in social and personal disorganization is counteracted inlarge measure by the efficient communal organization of the Jewishcommunity. ERNEST W. BURGESS

Nels Anderson, The Slum: An Area of DeAerloratlon In the Grototh oJ he City;Ernest R. Mowrer, Fcra/y DisorganizaEon in Chicago; Waiter C. Reckless, Th eNatural History of Vice Area* in Chicago; E. H, Shldeler, The Retail Bualness Or-ganlzaIion as an Index of Business Organization; F. M. Thrasher, One ThousandBoys' Gangs in Chicago; a Study of Their Organization an d Habitat; H. W. Zorbaugh,The Lower North Side; a Study in Comrfvunity Organization.

2-15 - ernest burgess - the growth of the city

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